PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA — Pleasanton residents could be paying more for sewer service starting in January, with a proposed increase adding $25.50 to a typical single-family home’s bill every two months.
Under the city’s official public hearing notice, that combined sewer bill would rise from $97.11 to $122.61 — an increase of about 26%.
That works out to an additional $12.75 per month.
The increases have not been adopted. The Pleasanton City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on November 17 at 7 p.m., with the first adjustment taking effect January 1, 2027, if approved.
What would change on your bill?
Pleasanton’s sewer bills include two different charges: one for the city’s collection system and another for regional wastewater treatment.
For a typical single-family home served by Dublin San Ramon Services District’s treatment system, the proposed January increase would raise Pleasanton’s collection charge from $31.53 to $57.03 every two months.
The notice’s example holds the separate DSRSD treatment charge at $65.58, bringing the combined bill to $122.61.
Additional increases would follow. The proposed schedule raises the city’s single-family collection charge to $62.74 in July 2027, $69.02 in July 2028 and $75.93 in July 2029. Regional treatment charges would be additional and could change separately.
Condominium and multifamily customers would also see increases, with those two categories moving to the same city collection rate.
The notice estimates combined bills would rise from $72.80 to $90.66 for condominium customers and from $67.64 to $90.66 for multifamily customers per two-month billing cycle.
Rates for customers in the Ruby Hill service area may differ.
Why the city wants higher rates
According to Pleasanton’s sewer-rate information page, past increases were largely tied to inflation. City officials say that approach did not fully cover the long-term costs of maintaining and replacing aging infrastructure.
The city has identified approximately $55 million in critical sewer improvements over the next four years.
Those projects are intended to reduce the risk of sewer backups, overflows and service disruptions, while avoiding expensive emergency repairs.
Sewer revenue goes into a dedicated fund for sewer services and infrastructure. The city says it cannot use that money for unrelated city expenses or water projects.
How residents can weigh in
The November 17 hearing will take place at the City Council Chamber, 200 Old Bernal Avenue.
Residents can speak at the hearing, but the city’s notice says only valid written protests count toward the formal protest process.
A written protest must include the property owner’s or customer’s name, the service address or assessor’s parcel number, and a signature. It must arrive before the hearing closes.
Protests can be submitted at the hearing or mailed or hand-delivered to:
City of Pleasanton
Attention: City Clerk
123 Main Street
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Email and fax protests will not count. Only one written protest is counted per parcel.
If valid protests represent a majority of affected parcels, the proposed rates cannot be adopted, according to the notice.
For households concerned about affordability, the city also offers a utility discount program for eligible customers enrolled in PG&E’s CARE program. Details and application information are available through Pleasanton’s utility billing page.
Want to keep up with local changes that affect your household? Join our free 925 News newsletter for East Bay news and community updates.
